For as long as the game of golf has been played, golfers have struggled to consistently drive the ball as far and straight as their talents and patience will permit. Many factors can contribute to a poorly shot golf ball. For example, a golfer's grip, stance, distribution of weight, head position, bends in the arms and legs, swinging motion, pivot, and follow-through are all examples of elements that golfers work on intently to achieve a consistent and ideal golf swing.
Another factor affecting the quality of a golf shot is the vertical point at which the face of the golf club strikes the ball. At the ideal striking point, a clubface makes initial contact with the midpoint of a golf ball at the club's “sweet spot,” or a portion of the clubface designed to provide the straightest and longest drive. Initial contact with the ball above or below its center or above or below the clubface's sweet spot can result in too little or too much loft, excess spin, and generally a shorter, less accurate drive.
Conventional golf tees are used by golfers on their opening swing of each hole to elevate the golf ball above the ground and can be used to facilitate contact at the ideal striking point. Conventional golf tees are typically made of wood or plastic, have a stake portion with a pointed end for insertion into the turf, and have a cupped end for supporting a golf ball. The shaft of conventional golf tees is typically a solid color, such as white or brown.
The optimal depth for tee insertion to facilitate the ideal striking point at a club's “sweet spot” is known to be the depth that allows the bottom of the club head to rest on the turf while the top of the club head is even with the center of the golf ball. This ideal insertion depth is consistent with the following formula: DFT=CFH−(½*DGB), where DFT is the distance from the top of the tee, or the portion of tee remaining above the ground when the tee is inserted; CFH stands for clubface height; and DGB stands for diameter of golf ball.
The method of using a conventional golf tee in the ordinary course is for the golfer to insert the tee into the ground unaided by measurement or reference point. The golfer simply relies upon his/her eyesight and best judgment to insert the tee into the turf at approximately the optimal depth. Thus, each time a golfer uses a conventional golf tee under the ordinary method s/he must estimate both the clubface height (CFH) and the diameter of the golf ball (DGB) in order to calculate the correct distance from the top of the tee (DFT) in which to insert the tee.
A problem with conventional golf tees and their method of use is that the golfer must re-estimate the proper depth each time he or she inserts the tee into the turf. This can lead to inconsistent tee heights, leading to inconsistent drives. This problem has been addressed in the prior art by providing a reference point on the tee shaft, for example lines, notches or a stopping mechanism, such as a removable or non-removable horizontal member that makes contact with the ground when the tee shaft is inserted to the proper depth.
A second problem with conventional tees, and one not addressed by the prior art, is the actual method of insertion depth estimation. Thus, while markings on a tee shaft may allow a golfer to insert his/her tee at the same depth each time, this does not guarantee that the depth consistently used is the optimal one.
For example, Blosser (U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,146) teaches the use of a sequence of stripes in repeating colors on the shaft of the golf tee but fails to provide any means of assisting the golfer in selecting the correct stripe. Several other patents use removable stoppers, which are either screwed on, such as Young (U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,977), Thomas (U.S. Pat. D370,041), and Cabot (U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,557) or clipped on, such as Strong (U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,122), Antonious (U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,700), and Kirikos (U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,079). However, like Blosser, these devices similarly fail to provide a suitable means of assisting the golfer in initially ascertaining the proper insertion depth.
Trial and error presents one means of determining which of several reference points on a tee shaft a golfer may choose to use. However, this method is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, it is time consuming. Second, it must be repeated whenever a new club is used. Third, this method can lead to inconsistent results and may encourage non-ideal swings. For example, a golfer may conclude that a particular marking of the tee shaft is the favored reference point for tee insertion after hitting several good shots on the driving range. However, what the golfer may not realize is that s/he is actually adjusting his/her golf swing to accommodate a non-ideal tee depth, and is thereby reducing this ability to achieve consistency and power in the swing itself. Similarly, a golfer may have accurately estimated the ideal insertion depth but still hit a poor shot due to any one of a wide variety of unrelated problems with his/her stroke. Under the trial and error method, the golfer may be inclined to adjust the insertion depth rather than addressing the actual cause of his/her problematic swing. Thus, the trial and error method does not eliminate tee insertion depth as one of the possible causes of a poorly driven golf ball.
Another means of determining which of several reference points a golfer should use when estimating the proper depth to insert a golf tee is to survey the field of golf clubs and to prescribe a predetermined reference point for each particular club, such as suggested by Strong (U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,122). The drawback of this method is that golf club heads vary widely by manufacturer and also vary by type of club, i.e. drivers, woods, and irons. Moreover, a club head of a particular manufacturer and club type can vary with time, as new models are introduced and poor selling models are discontinued. Thus the apparatus and method taught by Strong is susceptible to becoming out of date and therefore irrelevant.
In light of the drawbacks of the apparatus and methods of the prior art, a new device and method are needed to aid the golfer in consistently inserting the tee to ideal depths.